Best practices for video surveillance cyber security, management

By Ryan Zatolokin
From April 2025 edition

TThe video surveillance systems and devices from ODAY can not only be fine. The executives of the institutions must reconcile the requirements for their long task list to ensure the operational continuity of their systems and at the same time to secure and maintain the systems and data from compromises or other risks. Although it results in additional complexity – with the progress in the AI, technology and connectivity that result in more data from the systems of facilities than ever, the guarantee of cyber security and continuity of video surveillance and other security systems is of the utmost importance. Like any IoT device that shares data within the network, video surveillance systems, if you remain unsecured or not managed, represents a risk for the organization.

In this sense, a plan and the tools are available to optimize and maintain video surveillance systems in their life cycles. Let's take a look at three steps with which the executives of the facility can start building a cyber security cure environment in the entire company on their journey.

1. Consideration of Due Diligence

Before the levels required for securing video surveillance and security systems, the executives of the facility must begin to start them in conversation with compliance requirements for the systems of their building. Include the right stakeholders and often help to ensure that the executives follow the established protocols, mitigate the risk and maintain their systems. If you include it, you can also build a positive work relationship between the stakeholders, which forms the basis for success and cooperation in the future.

In addition to navigating conversations with IT and important stakeholders, there is another crucial step towards proper maintenance and risk reduction in investing every server, every IoT device, place, the user and the type of data in and out of the furnishings. If facility managers do not know which devices they support, this can lead to assumptions and susceptible systems. A complete inventory, including the age of the devices in which condition they are and when your software is up to date, will make a major contribution to the management of this system when maintaining a proactive line of defense.

Creating inventory for the first time can be a discouraging task for intelligent buildings or organizations with hundreds or thousands of sensors and devices in several facilities, but every additional user, expired certificate or non -supported device represents a potential risk for the organization. Fortunately, there is device management tools with which furnishing managers can support the inventory and rationalization of maintenance. They enable the executives of the facility to remedy a single platform, report, to pursue device model numbers and to get software and firmware updates out.

2. Identify the low -hanging fruits

As soon as the basis of the inventory has been determined, the executives of the facility must concentrate on a clear, integrative security and maintenance plan that includes the layers of tactics of risk reduction and device management protocols.

The managers of the facilities should first deal with the cyber security and data protection properties that are already integrated in their current systems and solutions. Some video surveillance devices have security and data protection functions to increase protection, including automatic storage and encryption, blurred faces and digitally signed video. Signed video, which can even be used on cameras used with the body -based cameras, ensures that every image of video material is original and has not been changed or manipulated during the transmission, download or release. Many manufacturers also offer active and long-term support tracks to help companies keep their systems up to date.

Another advantageous protective layer for the long -term maintenance and security of video surveillance systems is on access. Limiting access is the name of the game to reduce unnecessary weaknesses. In addition to port-based access control, to prevent unknown users from accessing switches and EDGE devices directly, the executives of the facility should begin to eliminate jointly used passwords to individual systems and devices. Shared passwords not only pose a risk for the organization, but also make it difficult for you to pursue access and identify forgotten users.

After removing common passwords, built -in password protection should be used to further manage user access. This includes enforcing strong passwords and implementing the multi-factor authentication. Companies can provide security token, access cards, biometrics or one -off passcodes as additional forms of authentication.

An important tool for device management and cyber security are the permissions. Management should determine and monitor who has access to your devices and system data, including who can display cameras and videos and who has download and release functions. The limitation of data access to the required user will help ensure the integrity and safety of this data and at the same time create an invaluable level of insight and transparency in the command chain. In order to maintain this view and transparency level, managers of the facility should update user accounts regularly. Device management tools can automate the process of deleting and switching off accounts as soon as someone leaves the organization to simplify and optimize the process.

A particularly useful strategy with which devices and user access can continue to be managed is to use the Video Management System (VMS) as the main access point for safety data within the organization instead of enabling authorized users directly to access certain cameras. By using the VMS as a logical control point, the executives of the facilities and least privileged access helps, so that users can do the tasks that they need to do their jobs without having direct access to every single device in one network. Managers of the facility then have the flexibility, access to certain processes, individual software functions, cameras, actions or reports based on the needs.

3. Manage the life cycle

Like internal and external access protection, the role of life cycle management from installation to exchange is an essential step in order to keep systems safe and ready for operation. An essential strategy for life cycle management is the provision of newer functions, patches, error fixes and updates to remedy weaknesses and reduce the risk.

Some organizations expose software or firmware upgrades out of fear of system instabilities or additional training. The truth, however, is that the betraying of updates can be riskier than keeping devices current and properly managed over their life cycle. The longer a device is not managed, the more likely it does not become compatible with other systems or an operational disorder. Here, the tools for automated device management are set to play again in order to optimize the maintenance process and to replace the manual persecution of updates, guarantees and system status.

Training and organization not only ensure that systems are maintained during their life cycle, but also the process of persecution and treatment of the life cycle of a device. Planning for the end of the life cycle is particularly important when it comes to video surveillance in order to ensure uninterrupted security and operation of the organization systems.

The executives of the facility must have a consistent plan that is set up or replaced in the life cycle device. Some organizations replace systems as soon as a guarantee is no longer valid, while others are waiting until the date at the end of the support if patches and error fixes are no longer provided by the manufacturer. A clearly defined life cycle management plan enables facility managers to concentrate on long-term planning and budgeting before devices represent an operational risk or a security threat to the organization.

While each organization may have different systems, guidelines and unique risks, all managers of the facility can help ensure a safe environment of transparency, traceability and operation of their systems by concentrating on inventory, access and life cycle management. With the right strategies, organizations can improve security, improve the ROI and confidently navigate the developing challenges of cyber security and system management.

Zatolokin is the business development manager and senior technologist of the business development team of Axis Communications. His main focus is on cyber security and the positioning and promotion of Axis technology in conjunction with the hardware and software technologies of ecosystem partners.

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